Hinge structure for cigarette lighters

ABSTRACT

The hinge leafs of the hinge structure joining the cover and body of a decorative case for cigarette lighters are provided with tongues or barbs which bite into the sidewalls of the case and anchor the hinge in place. In this way, fastening techniques which mar or otherwise detract from the appearance of the case are avoided.

United @tates Patent Inventors Frederick J. Ransom [56] References Cited Atlanta; UNITED STATES PATENTS James!"Damemmkbr'dgeGa 450.211 4/1891 Achor P 3 5 969 929.974 8/1909 McNutt 11 Wed 3 2,583,350 1/1952 Witzgall Patented Feb-2, 3,128,898 4/1964 Burman,Jr. .4 Assignee Scnpto, Inc.

Atlanta, Ga. Primary Examiner-Raphael H. Schwartz Art0rne \'Newton. Hopkins and Ormsby HINGE STRUCTURE FOR CIGARETTE LIGHTERS 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

31, 32; 217/69, 70, 89; 16/159; 206/41-8, 41-A, 41.3; 431/(Inquired) Hi I U H p 84 I 38 a 74 1 36 L; 80.. 1 76 ig/78 4 r r c 3| W4.

L If 86 1' s 1 W I l; 3| 11; 28 22 1 i1 ABSTRACT: The hinge leafs of the hinge structure joining the cover and body of a decorative case for cigarette lighters are provided with tongues or barbs which bite into the sidewalls of the case and anchor the hinge in place. In this way, fastening techniques which mar or otherwise detract from the appearance of the case are avoided.

PATENIED FEB 21911 HQ. PRIOR ART 3 4 O 600 M 657 MB INVENTOR FREDERICK J. RANSOM JAMES R. DANIEL avgwam ww M ATTORNEY HINGE STRUCTURE FOR CIGARETTE LIGHTERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION procedures or techniques which deface the case to some degree. Thus, the ultimate finish and pleasing appearance of the decorative case are compromised.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved type of hinge structure for cigarette lighters wherein no separate or additional securing means is required for affixing the hinge structure to the component parts of the decorative case employed. The hinge leafs of the hinge structure are provided along their opposite side edges with spaced-apart tongues or barbs which are adapted to bite into the inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the case so as to firmly anchor and affix the leafs in place.

The leaves are constituted by substantially flat main body portions which are disposed in face-to-face contact with respective intermediate sidewall portions of the cover and lower body part of the case with the tongues being angled outwardly away from such contacted sidewall portions and into biting or anchored engagement with the opposed inner surfaces of opposite sidewalls of the case construction. The tongues or barbs are angled outwardly to present sharp edge portions which bite into the metal of the case and brace the main body portions of the hinge leaves to hold them in engagement with the case structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing portion of a cigarette lighter case according to the prior and illustrating the deface- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference at this time to FIG. 1, the construction shown therein is in accord with conventional practice in the prior art, wherein the lower body part 10 of the decorative case for a cigarette lighter is provided with a hinge construction indicated generally by the reference character 12 serving to pivotally secure the cover 14 to the portion 10 as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The hinge leaves of the hinge structure 12 conventionally are spot welded or otherwise secured to the respective portions 10 and 14 to affix the hinge structure in place with the result that depressions 16 and 18 are made in the outer surface of the casing which mars the decorative and ornamental appearance of the case.

A hinge structure according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 wherein it will be seen that two hinge members indicated generally by the reference characters 20 and 22 are pivotally interconnected by a suitable pintle pin 24, the hinge members including the substantially flat main body portions 26 and 28 having a series of spaced tongues or barbs along the opposite sides thereof.

The member 20 is formed of a piece of flat stock which is sheared longitudinally from one end thereof to present a spring blade element 34 having a bent over end .portion 36 with the projections on either side of this spring blade being deformed to embrace the pintle pin 24, as is indicated by the reference character 38. The other member 22 is provided with an extension 42 as may be seen in FIG. 2 which is likewise deformed around the pintle pin 24 and interdigitated between the portions 38 of the hinge member 20.

It will be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the notches 44 defining the upper tongues 30 of the member 20 and the corresponding notches 46 defining the corresponding tongues 32 at the opposite side of the member 20 are in line, as is shown, whereas the notches 48, 50 and the lower end notches 52 and ,54 are stepped outwardly somewhat in a progressive fashion l for the purpose of assuring sufficient material in the regions 56 and 58 to avoid the formation of fatigue cracks. The tongues 30 and 32 of the member 20 are bent outwardly along a line substantially in registry with the bases of the notches 48 and 50, as indicated by the lines of bend 60 and 62. Thus, the ton- 1 gues 64, 66 and 68, 70 are characterized by being progressively stiffer to effect the maximum anchoring effect, as will hereinafter appear, in the regions immediately adjacent the coupling between the two hinge sections.

j Likewise, the notches forming the tongues 3ll and 33 of the l other member 22 are deeper than the notches 74 and 76 l which define the tongues 78 and 80 and the tongues 82 and 84 land the lines of bend 86 and 88 are, again, aligned with the i bases of the notches 74 and 76 so that the sets of tongues 78, l 80 and 82, 84 are progressively stiffer to provide the increased {anchoring action as aforementioned in conjunction with the I corresponding tongues of the upper section 20.

The material of the hinge construction is somewhat resilient lor springy so that the hinge leaves and more especially their itongues are required to be forced into place between the opposite sidewalls 94 and 96 of the case 92. As may be seen in FIG. 4, each main body portion 26 or 28 is disposed in face-to face contact with a sidewall 90 of the case 92 so that the ends of the tongues bear against the opposed inner faces of the opposite sidewalls 94 and 96. The angulation of the tongues not only serves to brace the main body portion against the sidewalls 90 but it also disposes the tongues such that the sharp edges thereof bite into the metal of the sidewalls 94 and 96 as indicated by the reference characters 98 and 100 in FIG. 4.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends an advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While the presently illustrative embodiment of the invention is given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cigarette lighter of the type including a lower body portion and a cover, said lower body portion having a pair of opposite sidewalls joined by a second pair of sidewalls and said cover having corresponding pairs of sidewalls, the improvement comprising, a hinge structure pivotally joining said lower body portion and said cover, said hinge structure including a pair of hinge leafs pivotally joined at one end and each having a main body portion provided with a series of spaced tongues along its opposite side edges, one of said hinge leafs being disposed in face-to-face contact with one of said lower body portions and the other hinge leaf being disposed in face-toface contact with one of said second pair of sidewalls of said cover, and said tongues extending outwardly at an angle away from such second sidewalls into biting contact with the inner surfaces of said opposite sidewalls of the corresponding cover and lower body portion, said tongues being of rectangular configuration presenting flat end faces, one edge of each of which is in biting contact with a corresponding opposite sidewall, said tongues adjacent the pivotal interconnection between said leafs being shorter than the remaining tongues.

2. A cigarette lighter as in claim 1 wherein the tongues next to those which are adjacent the pivotal connection are longer than the said adjacent tongues but shorter than the remaining tongues so that there is a progressive shortening of the ton gues, with a resultant stiffening as the pivotal interconnection is approached. 

1. In a cigarette lighter of the type including a lower body portion and a cover, said lower body portion having a pair of opposite sidewalls joined by a second pair of sidewalls and said cover having corresponding pairs of sidewalls, the improvement comprising, a hinge structure pivotally joining said lower body portion and said cover, said hinge structure including a pair of hinge leafs pivotally joined at one end and each having a main body porTion provided with a series of spaced tongues along its opposite side edges, one of said hinge leafs being disposed in face-to-face contact with one of said lower body portions and the other hinge leaf being disposed in face-to-face contact with one of said second pair of sidewalls of said cover, and said tongues extending outwardly at an angle away from such second sidewalls into biting contact with the inner surfaces of said opposite sidewalls of the corresponding cover and lower body portion, said tongues being of rectangular configuration presenting flat end faces, one edge of each of which is in biting contact with a corresponding opposite sidewall, said tongues adjacent the pivotal interconnection between said leafs being shorter than the remaining tongues.
 2. A cigarette lighter as in claim 1 wherein the tongues next to those which are adjacent the pivotal connection are longer than the said adjacent tongues but shorter than the remaining tongues so that there is a progressive shortening of the tongues, with a resultant stiffening as the pivotal interconnection is approached. 